Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-06-24
FLEHCING A FARMER.

laStcal of waiting, lr the old
way, 70 pick np in the cities stray
victims from the rural districts, a
numlcr Of expert bunco swlndlers
have adopted the bold tactics Of
entering the rural districts them.
selves and selecting their victims
directly from the farms. Three of
these sharpers are now working
PENNSYLVANIA counties. and, accord
ing 10 the returns thus far receiv-
ed. thev have succeeded in pocket
ing no less than $4,000 in two or
three counties within the past zen
days. Their method Of working is
the same in every case. They OBJ
tain information as to farmers who
have farms to sell, and who can
readily command snug sums Of
ready money, and then proceed ac-
cording to the following instance:
John lIummell IS a rich farmer liv-
ing in Snyder county, across the
river from Sunbury. He had ad-
yertised a farm for sale. Last week
he received a letter signed by G. II.
Baxter, VI. d., who wanted to buy
farm, and who made an engage
mcut by letter to call and see Hum
mcll's property. y couple Of days
later two wcll.dressed, substantial
looking men drove up TO Hummelfs
farm house. One Of them intro
duced himself 10 the farmer as his
correspondent, Dr. Baxter, and then
presented his companion as ". II.
Morton, ESQ, his lawyer. Hum
nell showed the visitors over the
farm. II was entirely satisfactory,
and the three leaned over the farm
els front fence trying 70 come to
satisfactory terms for the purchase
OF the property. As they were
talking another well.dressed stran.
ger drove up and stopped. He
told Farmer liummeil thai he was
contracting fox the use Of barn
doors and fences 20 paint adver-
tisemen,s on and, after talking
with him awhile. the third stranger
produced a small satchel Open
ing il be displayed a number Of en-
velopes. which he said contained
prizes ranging from - to SG, GOO,
and l, any Of The party desired to
take their chances on making lit
tie fortune, the Investment OF -
would give The chance. This
scheme seemed % interest DR.. BaX-
ter's lawyer. Mr. Morton, and, after
several inquiries as to the mOdus
operandl Of the drawing, he paid
- ior chance. lie drew, and
drew q blank. He invested anOth-
er - however, and drew $40. An
other - brought him $50. BY
this time Farmer Hnmmell was IN
teres,cd. lie put s. and drew 50.
His next liaw was blank, but,
directed by Lawyer Morton, he
bought another chance and an en-.
velope marked $4,000, condition.
ally." The man in the wagon ex-
plainoi that the conditions we're
that the drawer Of the prize must
pay over TO the owner OF the game
$4,000 and then receive the S6,OOO.
DR.. Baxter and Lawyer Morton
warmly congratulated Farmer
Hummell on his good luck, and
hoped he could fulfil the conditions.
He said he could DO that easy
enough if he had a couple Of hours
time. The man in the wagon said
il was usually spot cash with him,
bat as he would ike to have the
farmers influence in the vicinity
in getting him advertising priyi-
leges, wmci were worth a great
deal Of NOV = % him, he would
give him two hours time. The
farmer went 70 Sunbury and drew
$1,000 from bis deposit in the bank
there. lie hurried back home, and
counted out 20 the man in the wa
gon thirty 500 bills. Tie man
coolly folded the money, put it in
his pocket and giving the horse a
cut with the whip. dashed away,
and before the farmer recovered
from bis astonishment was ont OF
sight. Dr. Baxter and Lawyer
Morton were prOfnse IN their sym
pathy, and telling the farmer they
would call again and render him
their assistance in capturing the
impndent thief, they drove away
in an opposite direction from that
taken bv the man with the money.
This was the last seen or heard of
the three sharpers. Hummell vas
formerly a fish commissioner OF the
state, and he boasts that he spends
no money for newspapers. In a
similar manner the same persons,
according TO the description, rob
bed Emanuel Davinney, of YORK
county, Of -, 600, VIM. Lightfoot, Of
Cumberland county, OF $1,000, and
Samuel Gum, Of Adams, Of $1,000.
-Nepf0dsioira Regisfcr.
Wonderful Cures.
w. y. IIOyt & CO., Wholesale
and Retail Druggists OF Rome, Ga.,
says We have been selling DIR.
Kings new Discovery, Electric
Bitters and Bucklen's Arnica Salye
for two years. Have never handled
remedies that sell as well, or give
such universal satisfaction. There